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Change and Inspiration. |
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Edmund accepted the cross of what had happened. He continued his businesses and turned more to the practice of a life of spiritual reading, prayer, works of charity and devotion to Our Lady. He went to Mass daily at 6.00 a.m.. In 1790, Edmund joined an association of young men devoted to the spiritual development of its members. His main spiritual book was the Bible - his own copy was purchased in 1791. In 1793, he purchased The Spiritual Combat by Lorenzo Scupoli, a classical spiritual book for the way to the attainment of the height of perfection in Christ. Due to the bad weather of 1783 and 1784, Waterford developed a lot of unexpected extreme poverty. In 1794, Uncle Michael died and left Edmund as sole owner of the business, which prospered. At this time, Edmund was credited with founding a society that organised charity visits to people living alone in poverty in the city. Doing this work, Edmund became aware of the plight of large numbers of idle boys in the slums of Waterford. He brought some of these boys to his house and there fed them, taught them subjects and instructed them in religion in the evenings. What made Edmund recognise "the finger of God"? Edmund has stated it happened when he was sharing a room with a Holy Friar with whom he was travelling. This Friar was a man of intense prayer. Edmund wondered why it was he was not as devoted to God as the Friar was. However, two other significant events occurred. In 1797, Dr. Hussey, the Bishop of Waterford, published a Pastoral letter looking for the setting up of Catholic schools for the poor and any spare diocesan money was to be used for this purpose. In November 1798, two Presentation Nuns of the order founded by Nano Nagle opened a school in Waterford. Edmund helped them to build a school and convent that was completed in record time, by 1779. At 37 years, Edmund had a great interest in what the nuns were doing. A woman, who is thought to have been the sister of Fr. John Power, suggested to Edmund that he do something similar for the Waterford poor boys as Nano Nagle's group was doing for the girls. |